Chapter 18: The Conjurer's Trap
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: USER ADAM RICHTER. NEW OBJECTIVE: ACCUMULATE 20 UNIQUE DEATHS FOR SYSTEM UPGRADE LVL 1. CURRENT PROGRESS: 16/20. FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT: 10,000,000 JENNY. CURRENT JENNY: 10,000,000 JENNY. ** ]
Having secured his mental defenses, Adam turned his attention to another common threat in the Hunter x Hunter world: conjured bindings and traps. Getting caught in a Nen-created cage or ensnared by invisible chains was a particularly unpleasant way to go, and Adam wanted a skill to prevent such indignities.
" Alright, Adam, time to become an escape artist. Or at least, an 'escape-from-a-conjured-cage' artist. I need a skill that lets me break free from things. Preferably without having to gnaw off my own arm. That's just messy. And I'm pretty sure the System doesn't give skills for 'self-mutilation.' "
Adam used his 'Gyo' to search for conjurers in the arena. He looked for auras that were precise, structured, and seemed to manifest into tangible, albeit invisible, forms. He found his target: a meticulous, almost obsessive conjurer named Silas, who specialized in creating intricate, unbreakable cages and binding chains of pure Nen. Silas's aura, visible to Adam, was like a complex, shimmering blueprint.
" Silas, you magnificent architect of agony! You're going to teach me the art of not being trapped! And by 'teach,' I mean 'trap me until I die, so I can learn to not be trapped.' It's a very meta learning process. "
Adam signed up for a match against Silas. As they stepped onto the platform, Adam adopted a tone of mock admiration, laced with his usual sarcasm.
"Silas, my good man!" Adam began, gesturing grandly. "Your conjurations are simply exquisite! The sheer precision! The attention to detail! It's almost as if you spend hours lovingly crafting each invisible cage! Do you perhaps have a tiny, invisible hammer and chisel? Because your work is truly… impenetrable. Though, I must say, a little predictable. All cages, all the time. Where's the flair? The interpretive dance number with chains?"
Silas, a man who clearly took his craft very seriously, narrowed his eyes. His aura pulsed, and Adam could see the faint outlines of conjured chains beginning to form around him.
" Oh, he's going for the chains! Excellent! This is exactly what I need! Come on, Silas, bind me! Trap me! Make me feel utterly helpless, and then kill me! For the skill! "
Adam feigned a clumsy movement, allowing Silas to easily ensnare him. Conjured chains, invisible to others but faintly shimmering to Adam's 'Gyo', wrapped around his limbs, tightening with immense force. He felt his muscles strain, his bones creak under the pressure.
"Ooh! Snug fit!" Adam gasped, struggling against the bindings. "Very secure! Though, I must say, a little constricting. Are these chains made from pure Nen, or from the tears of frustrated escape artists? Because they feel remarkably… unyielding."
Silas, annoyed by Adam's continued commentary, tightened the chains further. Adam felt his breath being squeezed from his lungs, his body being compressed. He struggled, but the Nen chains were too strong. He felt his ribs crack, his internal organs rupture under the immense pressure. The world swam, then dissolved into suffocating blackness.
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: UNIQUE DEATH DETECTED. SKILL ACQUISITION INITIATED. ** ]
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: ACQUIRED SKILL: [B-RANK SKILL] ESCAPE ARTIST (LOW). ** ]
" YES! Escape Artist! Finally! Now I can wriggle out of things! Slightly! Take that, random kidnappers and your pathetic ropes! My days of being helplessly bound are over! Well, mostly over. 'Low' probably means I can only escape from, like, a particularly loose knot. "
Adam gasped, sitting bolt upright in his inn room, a phantom tightness in his chest. He felt a subtle, almost instinctive understanding of how to contort his body, how to find the weak points in bindings. He was at 17/20 unique deaths.
He quickly made his way back to the arena. He found Gon and Killua, who were discussing their next training regimen. Adam, unable to resist, decided to test his new skill on something mundane. He spotted a particularly stubborn knot in a rope used for training.
"Watch this, boys!" Adam announced, grabbing the rope. "The master of liberation is here!" He focused, his hands moving with an almost unnatural dexterity. The knot, which had been stubbornly resisting Gon and Killua, suddenly loosened and unraveled.
Gon's eyes widened. "Whoa! How'd you do that, Adam?"
"Trade secret, my friend!" Adam winked. "Involves a lot of pain, a little bit of magic, and a profound understanding of the futility of being tied up. Three more deaths! We're almost there!"
Adam was becoming a walking, talking Swiss Army knife of abilities. His arsenal was growing, preparing him for the dangers that lay ahead. He was three deaths away from his first major system upgrade.
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